Bidspirit auction | Complete Set of Sefer HaZohar,

Complete Set of Sefer HaZohar, Slavita Edition, 1815! At the beginning of the first volume were printed the approbations of Harav HaKadosh the Ohev Yisrael of Apta, and of additional Rabbanim, granted to Rabbi Moshe Shapira, Av Beis Din of Slavita. On the title page of Volume II appears the signature: ”ישראל משה מרגליות” Volume I: [3], 256, [8] leaves. Volume II: 269, [3] leaves. Volume III: 299, [1] leaves. General condition is good. Restored title pages. Stains. New leather bindings. 20 cm. On the Slavita Printing House and its founder, Rabbi Moshe Shapira, Av Beis Din of Slavita: The Jewish printing house in the city of Slavita (Khmelnytsky region, western Ukraine) operated between 1790–1837. Its founder was Rabbi Moshe Shapira (1762–1840), son of Harav HaKadosh Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz. From his youth he displayed exceptional skill in scribal writing, drafting, engraving, and carving. His holy father encouraged him to develop these crafts. In the early 1790s, Rabbi Moshe was appointed Rabbi of Slavita, but as he did not wish to benefit from the crown of Torah, he established his renowned printing house. The typefaces used there were his own handiwork. In addition to the press, he founded workshops for paper production and for casting and forming type. A large portion of the Jews of Slavita earned their livelihood with dignity through work in the various departments of the printing enterprise. Slavita editions became famous throughout the Jewish world for their beauty and refinement, precision, and quality of proofreading, as well as for the stature of their owner—Rabbi Moshe—who was revered by the great leaders of Chassidus. He was among the close associates of the Baal HaTanya, who wrote of him: ”המופלג בתורה, ויראת ה' אוצרו, בנן של קדושים” Harav HaKadosh Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl wrote of him: “The true Tzaddik who illuminated the eyes of Israel in all their places of settlement for more than forty years, beginning to do only good for Israel through his splendid printing press, producing all holy Sefarim—large and small, new and old—on fine paper with letters shining like stars.” A unique distinction of this press was that no non-sacred works were ever printed there, and its type was never used for secular books. Most of the printing workers were G-d-fearing Jews of integrity. According to a well-known Chassidic tradition, the printing presses and type were immersed in a Mikvah before being used for printing. 👉  Ask about this item